This week's high school football featured playoff game -- Published Nov. 9, 2012

Friday

Nov 9, 2012 at 12:01 AM

No. 10 Elk Grove-Pleasant Grove (6-4) at No. 7 Stagg (9-1)

Kickoff: 7 p.m., Stagg High School

Pleasant Grove skinny: The Eagles have been the model of success in the Sac-Joaquin Section. Now in the program's seventh season, Pleasant Grove has never had a losing season. Since going 5-5 in their first year (2006) - without seniors - the Eagles have made the playoffs every season. They've played in three of the past four Division I section finals, winning in 2010. Last year, they were beaten by Granite Bay in the title game, 30-24. ... Don't be fooled by the 6-4 record. Pleasant Grove finished third in the Delta River League, which may be the best in the section. Every team that beat the Eagles this year was either a league champion (Lincoln, Folsom), or a runner-up (Sacramento-Inderkum, El Dorado Hills-Oak Ridge). Of the two teams that finished ahead of the Eagles in the DRL, Folsom is No. 1 in Division II and Oak Ridge is No. 3 in Division I.

Stagg skinny: The Delta Kings will be playing their first playoff game in their three-year old stadium. They posted their best record since 1999 with an explosive offense that averages 422 yards per game, with nearly twice as many yards passing (279) as rushing (143). ... Stagg's lone loss was to perennial section contender St. Mary's, and that loss was as impressive as any of the Delta Kings' wins. Offensively, they put up 499 yards against the Rams, who have gone undefeated in the Tri-City Athletic League the past six seasons. As for key wins this year, Stagg beat Manteca (51-47) and Tokay (33-16) on the road and McNair (41-29) at home. All three are playoff teams. ... Five different receivers have at least 12 catches, and three - Andre Lindsey (43-980, 14 TDs), Lester Williams (39-935, 10 TDs) and Andru Jones (22-327, 4 TDs) have at least 22.

Pleasant Grove player to watch: Senior running back Isaiah Saunders has rushed for 1,182 yards on 213 carries with 15 touchdowns. He has struggled the last two weeks with a combined 108 yards on 30 carries against Oak Ridge and Folsom. His older brother Jalen plays receiver at Oklahoma.

Stagg player to watch: Wayne Brooks has meant everything to the Delta Kings. He has thrown for 2,754 yards with 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and he's also the team's leading rusher with 535 yards and 11 TDs.

History: The teams have met just one time, in the first round of the 2010 Division I playoffs. The Eagles' 48-7 victory set the tone for a four-game playoff run that culminated with the school's lone section championship.